Faith Focus: When was the last time you received a gift?

Last week, former Texas Rangers players Elliot “Bump” Wills and George Wright joined Buckner in North Texas to send 92 children from the Dallas Housing Authority back to school.

The nearly 100 children received new backpacks, courtesy of Comerica Bank and Buckner International, as well as Comerica piggy banks and coloring books. The backpacks were filled with snacks from Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu's WakWay Foundation, which addresses child hunger in low income and disadvantaged neighborhoods with a focus on nutrition and healthy eating. The Texas Rangers Foundation provided the children with Papa John's pizza and Dasani water, preferred vendors of the Rangers.

Joy filled the room as students received their backpacks and school supplies. Children smiled as they rifled through their gifts.

“Going back to school comes at a significant cost to families, which is why Buckner in North Texas is committed to helping alleviate some of the expenses for West Dallas families in need,” said Gabriel Flores, manager of the Buckner Family Hope Center at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex presented by TOYOTA. “There was so much joy in the air as we gave the children new backpacks they can be proud of wearing on their first day of school.”

When was the last time you received a gift for a day other than your birthday? Do you remember what it was? How did it make you feel?

As we get older, it seems we receive gifts less often, which makes the occasions someone gives us one all that more special. As adults, it’s often our closest friends and family members that give us gifts. They care about us the most and want to express those feelings.

God is no different. He loves you in a powerful way. He expressed that love by sending his son to die on the cross for our sins. And he continues to show his love for us through the daily gift of grace. Ephesians 1:4-8 tells us:

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

The backpacks and school supplies helped students in West Dallas go back to school on the right foot. Will you let God’s gift of grace begin your day the same way?